She Knew My Secrets
by RainbowEvanescence
Summary: College AU. Lexa Greene is taking Survival Ethics with beguiling blonde Clarke Griffin. Their college romance starts off typical, but the class brings out the best and the worst in everyone. Lexa's life only gets more complicated when Octavia Blake enters the picture. Will she choose the steel of a ruthless survivor? Or the reckless optimism of a hopeful leader?


**She Knew My Secrets | 1 | The Girl Under the Floor**

Octavia Blake took a deep breath before stepping out of the car. It was the first day of the rest of her life, as far as she was concerned. No more traitor bothers, no more dead boyfriends, no more fighting and scrapping for survival. No more girl under the floor. She was free.

The dormitory was a high-rise, or at least the campus brochure called it that. In truth it was only eight floors, but that was higher than any other building on campus and it was new enough that no one seemed to mind the misleading labels.

Octavia grabbed her backpack from the front seat, her only other belongings shoved haphazardly into a single set of luggage stacked in the back. It was all she had. It was all she needed.

She felt her legs tingling beneath her as she marched up to the front doors, opened to the public for the week as freshmen and their families moved in large screen TVs and mini fridges and a bunch of other crap. Octavia was alone, but she didn't need any of that. She didn't need anyone.

A thought threatened to break through. She shoved it down. She didn't need anyone.

The girl at the front desk didn't even blink when Octavia stepped up to the counter and cleared her throat.

"Name?" she asked monotonously.

"Octavia."

"Last name sweetie?"

Octavia frowned. This girl couldn't be more than two years older than her. "Blake."

She tapped something into the computer in front of her, spun around in her chair to face the wall of keys behind her. She grabbed one, and a sack of flyers beneath it, spun around and handed them to Octavia. Finally, she made eye contact.

"Room D-37, fourth floor. Your roommate is in already. Your RA will be by to establish your roommate agreement on Friday. Welcome to Arkley Hall."

• ○ ° ◦ ° ○ • ○ ° ◦ ° ○ • ○ ° ◦ ° ○ •

Octavia thought about knocking before she tried the door, but as she stepped off the elevator and approached the right wing of the hall she saw all the doors were already open. It seemed everyone but her had a family, siblings or parents or friends helping each other move in. She fought back the urge to scowl at them as they passed her.

Her door was open when she reached the room, and she saw someone inside. It was a blonde girl, alone. Her hair was swept into a side braid. She had her back to the door, reaching up to place the corners of a movie poster on the wall. She had already claimed her half of the room, her own bed and closet and desk decorated with bright colors and framed photographs and color-matching bed and bath sets. Octavia steeled herself before knocking.

"Hey."

The girl spun around. "Oh, hi! You must be Octavia-" She stepped forward, extending her hand. "I'm Harper, we're going to be roommates this year."

"Yeah, I'm… Octavia." She shook the blonde's hand.

"Sorry, the, uh, the girl at the front desk told me your name."

"Of course." Octavia shrugged.

"So…" Harper motioned to Octavia's backpack. "I hope that's not all you brought. Are your parents carrying the rest of your stuff up?"

"Oh, I—" Octavia shook her head. "They couldn't make it."

She was used to telling that lie. She didn't like it, but it was easier than the truth, easier than seeing the pity on their faces when they realized who she was.

"Oh." Harper frowned, and Octavia waved her hand as she stepped past her into the room. "No worries," she said quickly, throwing her backpack down on the bed. "I didn't pack much anyway."

"My mom always says people over-pack their first year."

Octavia bit back a retort, skilled after years of practice. She turned to face Harper. "Are you going to be here a while? I'd like to run down to my car and grab some more stuff…"

"Oh of course!" Harper waved her off and Octavia smiled.

"Thanks. I'll be right back."

Harper smiled warmly and returned to her movie posters as Octavia made her way back out into the hall.

The girl seemed nice enough—different than her, but not unkind. Octavia pushed down the snarling beast of jealousy that cropped up when Harper asked about family, but she knew she'd have to keep doing it over and over and over again. That was the price she would have to pay to start over: a string of tiny lies, a secret in exchange for a chance to be someone new.


End file.
